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St. Paul receives $1M to clean up sites along Central Corridor

The city of St. Paul has received $1 million in federal money to investigate possible cleanup sites along the proposed Central Corridor light-rail transit line.

The city will encourage owners of polluted properties, including a number of old car dealerships, to apply for the environmental assessments. Cecile Bedor, the city's planning and economic development director, said the first step is to identify which sites may be contaminated and would be good candidates for redevelopment.

"There's a lot of data out there right now that tells us which properties are contaminated, and with what," Bedor said. "For example, if there's been a petroleum spill in the past, we'll know that. Or if there's been an underground oil tank that's been leaking, we'll know that."

Bedor said the money could also pay for soil borings and cost estimates for the cleanup. The St. Paul City Council is expected to approve a resolution Wednesday accepting the grant. The city is also partnering with Ramsey County and the Metropolitan Council.